Vegetable-paring machine



Patented Oct. 20, 1925.

UNITED STATES `HENRY ROBINSON, OF LINDENHURST, NEW YORK.

VEGET LTE-PARIN G MACHINE.

Application filed December 11, 1924. `Serial No. 755,186.

To all whom t 'may concern.' y

Be it known that I, HENRY ROBINSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lindenhurst, county of SuffollgState of 5 New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in VegetablesParing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve- 10 ments upon the class of machines described in my prior Patents Nos. 942,932, dated December 14, 1909, and 1,488,617, dated April 1, 1924, in which vegetables placed in a con tainer are subjected to an abrading action by imparting to the vegetables a motion which tosses them individually against an abradant surface and maintains their constant rotation and interplay throughout the mass until the peel is all or substantially all removed.

vThe invention comprises certain specic improvements upon the apparatus, which can best be explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an enlarged, sectionallview through the driving mechanism. j

Figure 2 is a plan view of thegear housmg.

Figure 3 is a side view of the same.

In the drawings, 1 represents a bottom pan having a circular shape, with an upwardly projecting peripheral flange to which the container 2 is attached. The bottom pan 1 is supported by legs not shown. A shaft 4 mounted in a central vertical bearing 5 in the bottom pan 1 has attached to it on Aits upper end a rotating agitator such as has been described, for instance, in my prior patents. The lower endof the shaft is jour` nalled in an extension `7 on a gear housing 8, which has a cylindrical portion 9 at its upper end adapted to fit over a similar cylindrical flange 10 extending downward from the bottom pan. This gear housing also has a side extension 11 for the driving pinion, to which is secured a flanged journal bearing 12. The housing complete therefore consists of the main body 8, its extension 11, and the bearing flange 12. The flange of the journal bearing 12 has slotted holes at 13 (see Figure 1) through which extend bolts 14, whereby the bearing is secured to the extension 11 of housing 8. The holes are slotted vertically in order to permit the vertical adjustment of the bearing for alignbolts that secure the housing in place on the flange, the vertically slotted holes permitting of vertical adjustment for alignment.

In the housing 8 is a bevel wheel 16 mounted securely on the vertical shaft 4 and meshing with it is a bevel pinion V17 `carried by a drive shaft 18, upon which is mounted a driving `pulley 19.-,l The `outer end of the shaft 18 is supported in a swivel bearing 20, held by support-ing and adjusting screws 21 in a hanger or bracket 22 that is secured to the bottom pan 1 bybolts 28, a slot 24 being provided in the bracket through which the bolts pass, and which permits of adjustment of the bracket for alignment purposes. The weight of 'the shaft 4 vand the rotating members connected therewith is sustained by a ball bearing 25, the ball-s Vrunningin a hardened Vraceway 26 supported on the recessed shelf of thehousing 8 and a hardened plate 27 secured to the bottom face of the hub of the gear 16 forms the upper bearing for the balls which are shown at 28. The plates 25, 27 have pins 29, entering socket holes in the housing and gear face respectively, to prevent rotation, while permitting ready insertion and removal.

In assembling, the gears being properly mounted on the shafts, the vertical shaft may be inserted in its bearing 5 and` the housing 8 then' applied and slipped over the snug-fitting projecting ring or flange 10, and secured in place by thebolts through the slotted holes 15, the vertical adjustment being made so that the ballbearing 25 will hold the bevel wheel 16 betweenthe ball bearing and the bottom pan 1 with just the right' amount 0f snugness permissible with freedom of rotation. The shaft 18 with its pinion 17 and its bearing support 12 may then be applied and the bolts 14 used to clamp the flange of the bearing in posit-ion to give the proper mesh to the gears. The bracket 22 may then be fastened by means of bolts 28 to the bottom pan 1 and the outer bearing 20 centered vertically by means of said screws, any side adjustment necessary being made by screws 21, which have pointed bearings in their seats. When so assembled, the housing 8 may be filled with oil or grease so that the journal bearings 7 andfthe ball 'bearings andthe gears Willibe amply and continuously lubricated.

It Will be observed that the construction described affords -ready means. ofsetting :up and adjusting the various parts of the gear and associated parts. The "manufacture -is economized and easily maintained. The adjusting devices are Vreadily accessible 'from the outside, so that adjustment of all parts lis :effectedV "Withoiitjtaling f down lthe `gear 'or removing'any parts. `By 'removing the screws 23 and l'ia,t'lie mechanism may Ybe quicklydisassembled; The gear hoiising 8, With its extension 7,"`provides`an additional bearing atfthe lower end of the shaft, preventing lateral motion Iand so preventing friction and ive'aronfthe main bearing in the pan-the. gear {lybeing placefdfbetween the tivo bearings. The'lip or ring l0 being turned Vtrue, and the; cylindrical upper 'rim of the liousingS slipping snugly'thereon,-the loiver bearing 7 'Sal-Ways comes into alignnient with thebearing '5, when' the parts are assembled. Thehousingaifords an oil-tight 'receptacle lfor lubricant Without 'packi'nm Theiveigl'it 'ofthe' rotor ,is entirely taken'by 'the balllbearin'gsfwhose life as'Well-asthat of the 'gears depends on lubrication, and 'such lubrication is assured by the oiltight`hous ing, ad'aptedto holdthelubricant `Without packing.

"I claim I 1. In ya iriac'hine of the character described, the Vcombination comprising 'a "supporting l frame having a" main. bearing forl a vertical driven shaftfan'dV af depending hange, a driving 'shaft and'a'driven shaft, a`lgear and a pinion connecting 'the same, a housing "for theI gears attached to the depending *flange from the' supporting'i'frame, a`-`step -bearing interposed.bet-Weenthe; gear 'andthe housing, a journal 'bearing for the f driven shaft in saidhousii'igfon thebpp'osite side of said .gear from-the main bearing, "anda `flanged bearing forthe :drivii'i'g shaft attached to the housing. j A

"2. In a machine of the'eharacter described,

i the combination comprising la supporting vframe having a main bearing Cfora vertical driven shaft and a depending flange, a driving shaftand afdiivens'haft, a gear and apinion connecting the same, a housing for the gears attached adjustably to the depending flange from the "supporting frame, a roller or ball bearing interposed between thegearand the housing, a bearing for the the combination comprising a supporting frame having a vertical main bearing, a driven shaft journaled in. said' main Qbejaring, a flange element depending 'from saidffraine, a driving shaft, a gear and a pinion connecting'said shafts, a housing'element for y"the gears, said housing element 'being'sup- 'portedfrom said iange'element,one of said elements having vertical slots and -the other of "said elements having .bores Vregistering with `said slots, screw members "in respective lbores and slots for fixing saidfeleinents in 'operati-ve position and permitting relative adjustment thereof, a step -'bearing interposed between 2 the gear and fthe housing,

and abearing for the 'driving shaft in connection with the housing.

'4. 'In a inachineof the character described,

"the combination "comprising 'a "supporting fra-me 'having a vertical main bearing, a

driven 'shaft' j ournaled' in 'said mainfbearing, a "flange elementd'ep ending 'from said'tfr aine, a driving shaftfa "gear anda pinion 'con- :necting said 4`shafts, a housing element for the gears, said housing velement beingsupported from said'lange element, one-'of said elementsihaving vertical yslots and the *other f 'said elements having "bores registering "with said' slots, screw members inEV respective bores and slots for fixing said velements in operative position and permitting Yrelative adjustment thereof, a step 'bearing interposedbetween'the gear andthe hoiisnjg, a flanged bearing for the driving shaft,"and

means for adjustably securing the flange of said lbearing: to said' housing. i Y j :HENRY ROBINSON. 

